1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to sporting goods that are set in motion or struck by a user during a workout and more particularly to an exercise apparatus that is especially useful in boxing or other martial arts to practice striking, timing, and evasion skills.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many martial art “targets” of various types (e.g., timing pads, punching bags, fight dummies, etc.) exist that enable a user to spar (practice striking skills associated with martial arts) or may simply be used as part of an exercise routine to expend energy. Among these, speed bags and body bags are especially well known.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,746 by Brunier and U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,403 by Kuo both disclose punching devices that include a bag-like target area mounted to a tube and spring. The main advantage of these and similar inventions is to provide portability and adjustability to the basic punching bag. In that respect, both inventions do provide a convenient apparatus for striking. However, neither provides much opportunity to a user to anticipate counter movements or to practice evasion skills. Indeed, the return movement provided by each of these devices simply shortens the distance between the user and the target area without any simulation of a return blow.
More elaborate embodiments of the classic punching bag have evolved into “training dummies” and similar devices that feature anthropomorphic forms with specialized hitting surfaces and “arms” for simulating the delivery of a punch or the location of an opponent's hands. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,256,069 by Snowden, Jr. et al. discloses a boxing dummy apparatus featuring a torso, head, and appendages that are hit by a user. However, the torso and appendages of Snowden, Jr. et al.'s apparatus are static such that a user receives little if any stimulus to practice upper body evasion movements or footwork. Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,683 by Wang et al. discloses a boxing training device with electronically controlled extendable arms.
While Wang et al.'s device may be suitable for its particular purpose, it is also relatively complicated, expensive, does not move toward an user to simulate a “charging counterattack,” and does not respond to the force of a user's blow, but, rather, punches in a predetermined sequence according to a program stored in the device's memory. In the inventor's experience, a training device that “punches” according to a programmed sequence may not provide a good simulation for the typical “action and reaction” experienced when a blow is landed during a fight between human opponents.
Thus, there remains a need in the art for an exercise device and sparring apparatus that mimics the “reaction punch” and counter movement of a sparring opponent, and that is less complex and economical compared with typical boxing dummies.